Phylogenomic and phenotypic analyses highlight the diversity of antibiotic resistance and virulence in both human and non-human Acinetobacter baumannii

Abstract

The global crisis of antibiotic resistance is a silent one. More and more bacteria are becoming resistant to all antibiotics available for treatment, leaving no options remaining. This includes Acinetobacter baumannii . This Gram-negative, opportunistic pathogen shows a high frequency of multi-drug resistance, and many strains are resistant to the last-resort drugs carbapenem and colistin. Research has focused on strains of clinical origin, but there is a knowledge gap regarding virulence traits, particularly how A. baumannii became the notorious pathogen of today. Antibiotic resistance and virulence genes have been detected in strains from animals and environmental locations such as grass and soil. As such, A. baumannii is a One Health concern, which includes the health of humans, animals, and the environment. Thus, in order to truly combat the antibiotic resistance crisis, we need to understand the antibiotic resistance and virulence gene reservoirs of this pathogen under the One Health continuum.